We recently connected with EVA VIANA and have shared our conversation below.
Hi EVA, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
Creating my own clothing brand TSENOH! Every day, I confront my imposter syndrome by honestly and humbly sharing with the world what is inside me as a person and as a creative. Through my brand, I display my vulnerability, who I am, and what I am capable of. And every day, I strive to do it better.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Eva Viana and I’m a fashion designer and founder of Tsenoh! I believe there is something deeply resonant within human beings and textiles.
In Tsenoh! we understand clothing as our second skin, the one that protects and helps us interact with the environment around us since the beginning of humanity. And natural fibers as the only textile fibers in real harmony with our own biology. We share the same cellular nature. We are biocompatibles.
Guess I’ve always been interested in designing objects of all kinds since I was very young, but textiles were what caught my attention the most and what I dedicated the most time to experimenting with.
After my Fashion Design studies, I specialized in women’s shirt and blouse-making working for brands of one of the largest textile companies of the world. I was fascinated learning about the art of good classic pattern making, working with wonderful raw materials, meeting some of the best and oldest Italian fabric houses, antique dealers, suppliers, dyers, printers,… all of them from long tradition, excellence, and pure craftsmanship works.
Textile industry is one of the oldest that exists.
But on the other hand, I also experienced firsthand the violent rise of fast fashion with situations and practices that went against my values, personal and professional ethics.
And after many years working here and there for different companies I fell into a creative and personal crisis. Then I realized my work was affecting my self-esteem and my personal identity as a creative. On one hand I had a very well paid job and a lot of valuable knowledge, but on the other I felt like a second-class designer. And that’s where my imposter syndrome was born, very deep rooted in my own insecurity.
That was years of never openly sharing or showing my work to my friends or family, because I felt it was not good enough and somehow I was ashamed of it, despite having developed the amazing skill of easily designing thousands of beautiful and good garments customers were loving worldwide and into which I always put all my heart. But they weren’t mine.
And then one day, I had enough. I got really really tired of complaining and living under the ‘security’ of designing for others, where I never had to take any risks or show myself. That day, the question came naturally: What would a garment made with time and care, made by you, Eva, look like?
That was a game changer. I knew that the time of showing myself out to the world, which scared me so much, had arrived.
In 2020 Tsenoh!, which is Honest spelled backwards, was born and it represents everything I value most… natural raw materials and their superb properties, sustainable agriculture, ethical and dignified treatment of people, animals, and ecosystems, long lasting high quality good design, and dressing well as an act of self-love. A holistic way of understanding textiles.
It is also where I can explore my own visual universe, a space for experimentation without judgment. Is my daily challenge, and my therapy.
In my creative process, I understand materials, volumes, colors, etc., as something that deeply affects our physical and psychological well-being at a very primal level. And that every creative decision I make and every step we take directly influences each individual and all the social and natural ecosystems of this planet in a global and massive way.
We work with native Spanish Merino wool from sheeps that have been guided by shepherds from the northern mountains to the central meseta. An exceptional fiber that keeps our natural body temperature stable and protects our bodies from external aggressions (humidity, static electricity, free radicals, …). Or European premium linen, one of the oldest textile fibers used by humans. Linen is a plant we can wear and a natural thermoregulator that provides insulating properties in winter and a refreshing sensation in summer. Also we work with Spanish organic cotton, handcrafted mohair wool,…
We firstly choose the best raw material and then we design, not the other way around.
It’s a hard, slow and long-term journey where every day I feel totally exposed but still try to go further, not only for myself but because I firmly believe in the values of honesty and regenerative sustainability as a way to reimagine and rebuild the world I would like to live in and the one I would want for all human and non-human beings on this planet.
I, and all the amazing people I team-up with, take full responsibility.
And that’s how I overcome my impostor syndrome, by fearlessly doing my best and showing it heart-opened to the world.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Lookin back to all my journey I can see there are few things that for me were game changers…
I’m a very curious person and I’ve changed jobs almost every two years, which gave me confidence as person and an increasingly broader vision and greater excellence as professional. First time was scary, second uncertain, and the following ones was exciting. This helped me to overcome the great fear of venturing into the unknown, of stepping out of the comfort zone that the false promise of “security” offered under the idea of a stable job for life represented for me, as it does for many people of my generation. Once I overcame that, I felt there were no limits, no bindings. I felt I was free to explore and to expand myself as a designer.
I learnt that If you are not happy in a particular job, complaining about the company is a waste of time and energy… they are what they are and you can´t change that. But you can change you, and where you put your precious time and skills and who you want to support with your valuable work. I’m allergic to the resignation phrase ‘It is what it is” very common here in Spain.
Another important moment was to overcame my pride and surround myself by people better than me.
Firstly I knew nothing about how to start a business, so I began surrounding myself and genuinely becoming interested by other designers and entrepreneurs in my city and their businesses. Those people are amazing in their fields, I truly admire what they do and thay still inspires me deeply everyday. I opened myself to meeting other creatives better me, wiser and more experienced. And started getting used to talk about my work and my dreams with them. To ask questions and also asked for advice. And so a new world opened in front of me. The people I met were crucial in making my business a reality today.
But for me, the most valuable skill is maintaining balance in my life. My work is very important, but it doesn’t define me as a person, and it’s not above other vital areas such as my friends, my partner, my dog Dakota, family, other hobbies, my health, my spirituality, my alone time, etc… It’s crucial to me that all of these aspects are well attended to. Because if one of these areas suffers, it affects all the others, like interconnected vessels. Of course, there’s always a need for readjustment, but not solely relegating my happiness to my work gives me a lot of peace and grounding. And you need a lot of this when you start a business.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
Right now, I’m facing the challenge of redirecting my business. Of making it more mature. Everything that was set up at the beginning three years ago isn’t the same as what it needs now. Tsenoh! is evolving organically, growing, and there are things you can foresee, but others you encounter along the way. Especially in the beginning, in such a personal business model, nothing is clearly defined; everything is being readjusted: target audience, production structure, branding, sales channels, and a long list of other aspects.
And then there’s this big issue for creatives… Money!. Something always very important to consider because specially textile businesses requires a lot of financing to grow. But if it grows, you also need to know how to sustain it because dying from success is very easy. For me, running a business alone nowadays is like juggling.
And another important issue that arose simultaneously is whether the growth plans for Tsenoh! align with my personal life plans and the energy currently available.
Being aware of where I am in my life has been crucial in redirecting my business towards a coherent path and avoiding the dreaded “burnout.” I have preferred to slow down the pace and focus on practical matters that require time and reflection, such as getting to know my client more deeply, making improvements to the online store, learning more about social media, redesigning the branding… things that currently resonate with me and make me very happy to do. Of course, making sales is important, but not at any cost. For me, a good sale within the niche I’m focusing on now is more important and provides more valuable information than ten scattered sales.
So that’s what I’m facing now, the thrilling beginning of a new stage.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tsenoh.com
- Instagram: @tsenohhh
Image Credits
All images credits are Tsenoh!©
